Tahlequah woman released following DUI charges

A Tahlequah woman accused of being under the influence of alcohol and involved in a fatality crash has been released from the Delaware County jail with several stipulations.

Authorities released Tammera Rachelle Baker, 38 on Friday, June 9.

She was charged on May 23 with manslaughter in Delaware County District Court in connection with the death of Joyce Osborn, 80, of Tahlequah.

The conditions of Baker’s own recognizance bail is for her to wear an ankle monitor, no driving, no drinking alcohol, no bars, no casinos and no intentional contact with the victim’s family, according to court records.

Baker told an Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper investigating the scene she drank two shots of whiskey around 3 p.m. The crash happened shortly before 6 p.m., according to an arrest affidavit.

Baker was traveling northbound on a county road north of Oaks when she ran off the right side of the road, then overcorrected and crossed the centerline, hitting Osburn’s vehicle head-on, the affidavit states.

She reportedly was driving to a gas station to pick up some soda pop, the affidavit states.

However, troopers investigating the accident mapped out the collision scene and reported, “there was no evidence supporting Baker’s claim” that Osburn’s vehicle was in the northbound lane, the affidavit states.

The trooper noted in his report he “could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage” and noticed Baker “was unsteady on her feet” as she walked to the trooper’s vehicle, the affidavit states.

Baker’s blood alcohol was over the legal limit.

Osburn was pinned almost three hours and died at the scene due to massive injuries, according to an OHP report.